Opened by Warner Brothers on October 29, 1936, the Uptown Theater is the last movie palace in Washington, DC still showing first-run films. The Uptown is located near the Cleveland Park subway stop on the Red Line of the Metro. Many restaurants are on both sides of the street.

The theater opened with a seating capacity of 1,364 (914 seats in the orchestra and 450 in the stadium seated balcony). The Uptown Theater was designed by theater architect John Zink, a top designer of Art Deco and Art Moderne style movie houses. In 1939, Zink designed Baltimore’s historic Senator Theatre.

In the early 1940’s, the auditorium’s side walls were covered with fabric. In 1956, the auditorium was remodeled to allow films in wide screen Todd-AO. “South Pacific” ran for seven months in 1958 and “West Side Story” ran for nine months in 1961. In 1962, the auditorium was remodeled to show 3-strip Cinerama films. The original projection booth remains at the top of the balcony, but new booths were added at the front of the balcony. Since Cinerama ended, the center front booth continues to be used.

The World Premiere of “2001-A Space Odyssey” was at the Uptown Theater on April 2, 1968, in its original two-hour and 40 minute version. Kubrick trimmed 20 minutes, and the movie was then shown for 51 weeks. Local theater operators Circle tookover, and that company’s founders continue to own the building, though succeeding movie operators lease it. In 1987, Cineplex Odeon tookover, and that company later merged into Loews, which in time merged with into AMC.

Many films were shown in their original 70mm runs, and later, in reissues, to sold out crowds. The restored “Lawrence of Arabia” was shown in 1989, with director David Lean attending the premiere. The restored “Spartacus” was shown in 1991 and the restored “My Fair Lady” in 1994. Cineplex Odeon refurbished this palatial movie house in 1996, reducing the seating capacity to 840 and reopened it with the restored “Vertigo”. In 1997, the Uptown was host to the re-release of the Star Wars saga (aka “Star Wars: The Special Edition”). On opening day, the ticket lines wrapped around the block, turned the corner, and continued several blocks away from Connecticut Street. New prints of 36 classic films, starting with “The Jazz Singer” were shown in 1998 to celebrate 75 years of Warner Brothers movies. The other restored classics included “Rear Window” in 2000, and in 2001, a 20th anniversary run of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey”. In 2003, the Director’s Cut of “Alien” was shown, and in 2007, “Blade Runner, the Final Cut”.

Hollywood studios frequently have glittering red carpet film premieres at the Uptown Theater.

First run, blockbuster mainstream movies are the mainstay. Known for having the largest screen in DC (its curved screen measures 32 feet tall by 70 feet wide for ‘scope films), the Uptown Theater has been the best place to see event movies for several decades.

At long last, here are a few words from me regarding your (multiple) requests for comment pertaining to “Circus World” and its short run at the Uptown. I’ve rounded up all of my data on the roadshow/Cinerama engagements of “Circus World” and am presenting it here. There are a few dates that require a double-check and a missing engagement or two, but I believe it to be mostly complete. Scrolling through the list you’ll be able to compare how long the film played in each city and can draw your own conclusion as to whether or not the film’s roadshow release ought to be considered a success.

As to my take on the matter of the Uptown’s brief engagement. Washington, DC opened the movie several months into release, by which time it proved to be a commercial and critical disappointment, and so I suspect the studio lost any leverage they may have had in demanding a lengthy booking. Just a guess, though. Still, three weeks for a reserved-seat engagement is ridiculously short for a city of any size, especially a large one (and it kinda makes me wonder if I erred when I originally researched the matter).

Anyway, while there’s some risk in irking some readers that this may be somewhat off-topic, here is the roadshow booking list for the United States and Canada for “Circus World”:

many many thanks for your reply. I figure if
anyone could answer the question you could. I
didn’t see Circus World in its “in Cinerama”
roadshow run at the Warner Cinerama on 47th St.
I owned the soundtrack album plus I go the
vhs when it came out. admittedly its a corny
hokey film and while not Oscar material I still
found it an enjoyable corny hokey film.

a good film is a good film. an uneven film is
an uneven film and a bad film is a bad film
no matter what city its playing in.
I am sure NYC, San Francisco and Los Angeles
have discriminating moviegoers so if they kept
their city’s roadshow engagements running for
respectively 19,13 and 16 weeks what gives with
D.C.’s 3 weeks? the advance sale being that it
was a John Wayne film , that is was “in Cinerama”
and Samuel Bronston’s talent at over the top
spectacle should have been enough sustain a run
of longer than 3 weeks. so the only guess I can
make is the same as yours- they waited to long
to open its D.C. roadshow run.

Circus World was probably the shortest roadshow and Cinerama engagement in Toronto as well, with only 5 weeks at the Odeon Carlton. But it opened midsummer and the Carlton was huge, didn’t seem to work out as a Cinerama house, even It’s a Mad…World didn’t do well there at only 18 weeks even though it played over a year in some places. Probably why after the Greatest Story Ever Told, all Cinerama films were moved to the much smaller and very suburban Glendale theatre way up in North Toronto.

I guess I may as well post the rest of the 1970s era bookings for the Uptown from the point my list from the August 4th posting left off.

Again, this is a work-in-progress which includes some details that probably should be double-checked. I hadn’t planned to post any of it given its incomplete status, but the recent roadshow and “Circus World” questions have prompted me to reconsider. Anyway, regardless of its current state of completion, I believe enough of it to be complete and accurate so as to justify posting it here for all fans of the Uptown to enjoy. If you think any detail is incorrect, simply send me an email or make it a part of the conversation. Otherwise, enjoy the flashback if you resided or visited the area and attended any of these shows at the Uptown.

Coate (and bigjoe59)…The 9/26 Circus World booking list does need a double-check. Listed for 2/17 is a run in Akron at the Falls that conflicts with your 8/27 Mary Poppins list on The Digital Bits which lists a 1/27 opening for that picture. From my research that date is correct and MP is playing there on 3/1 and 4/1 until My Fair Lady opens later that month. I also know CW opened 5/26 at the Cinema (formerly Loew’s) and two drive-ins. Where did you get the February date?( It wouldn’t be the first time a run was hidden when the search isn’t week to week). Additionally your list is missing 3 cities — Jacksonville opening 7/22 for 5 weeks and Chattanooga and Nashville both 11/12 and 8 weeks. Also missing run lengths are Providence for 23 weeks, Norfolk for 8 (the Rosna is downtown, 18 miles and 24 minutes from Virginia Beach) and Birmingham for 2 weeks. CW should have played 66 engagements, but at 54 it still was the largest (in 70 mm) until Grand Prix. This all started with big joe’s 9/5 question (which none of this will ever answer) about why the short DC run — there was at least one shorter (unless a Disney picture was interrupted in Akron). More than half —31— of the CW runs were single digit (2 months or less) so perhaps it is more significant to ponder why Providence and Hartford hold the record for this picture at 23 weeks.

I thank my fellow posters for any info about Circus
World’s Cinerama reserved seat engagement at the
Uptown. granted its not Oscar material but I found it
even on vhs to be a corny hokey enjoyable popcorn
movie. so I should think on a giant curved screen
with stereophonic sound it would have been that much
more enjoyable. to which its roadshow run of only
3 weeks at the Uptown is just utterly bizarre when
you consider its roadshow runs in other cities lasted
from 15 to 23 weeks.

i thank Coate for posting a while back a list
of Circus World’s roadshow runs across the U.S.
i questioned the D.C listing for the Uptown of
only 3 weeks. Coate figured it might be because
word had gotten out that the film while enjoyable
wasn’t another El Cid. but the film opened in
other big city runs after D.C yet had decent runs
cancelling out Coate’s theory about word of
mouth. my point being the Uptown run of 3 weeks
the shortest on the list has got to be a mistake.